The Times TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1941. Shipping Help From America

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 142, 17 June 1941, Page 4

The Times TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1941. Shipping Help From America

The report of President Roosevelt to Congress upon his plans for assisting magnificently in the Battle of the Atlantic was anticipated by the actual putting into operation of a great programme. lie had already, some weeks ago, announced the formation of a 2,000,000 ton shipping “pool for the British; 200,000 tons of new shipping were handed over last month ; and before the 550 billion dollar appropriation now announced was even voted, the United States Maritime Commission had commenced to build the so-called “ocean slugs”—pre-fabneated vessels oi 7500 tons—which will be put into the service of democracy as they come off the slips.

The position to which Mr. Roosevelt’s decision will bring instant relief is serious. Last month the Admiralty made available an analysis of losses which revealed just how great is the strain put upon British shipping under the stress of the Nazi campaign, in the twelve months period to the end of April, 1941, which includes the Dunkirk and Greek withdrawals, British, Allied and neutral losses were 1098 ships, of a total of 4,734,407 tons; from the start of the war .the loss was 1443 ships, totalling '5.961.044 tons. The aggregate British loss in the whole period of the war was 885 vessels, of 3,810,541 tons. These losses are; of course, offset by replacements and acquisitions, which have been estimated at 3,000,000 tons to the end of March, 1941. Shipbuilding in Great Britain lias proceeded apace, in spite of all difficulties, and the Economist, in an analysis issued early this month, declared the year’s output of British shipyards to be more than 1,500,000 tons. This is an extraordinary achievement, but it could not be sufficient in itself to compensate fully for present losses, were no other sources available.

In the first four months of the present year—in the period of intensified Nazi attacks—the total of British, Allied and neutral shipping sunk was 1,617,359 tons, or more than the British output for a lull year; in April itself, a comparatively light month, British, Allied-and neutral losses totalled 488,124 tons. Excluding the Mediterranean theatre, the April losses were more than 300,000 tons, of which it may be presumed the majority was lost in the Atlantic, in keeping open Great Britain’s most vital communications.

With Mr. Roosevelt’s announcement as a sign of encouragement, it is not uninteresting to recall that at the height of the U-boat campaign, in April, 1917, British losses were near the present figure at 394,700 tons. That was before the convoy system was introduced, and it cannot be doubted that the shortage of convoy when the Nazis can operate from ports not accessible to the Germans in the Great War, using planes as well as U-boats and surface craft, is a handicap that could be promptly removed only by the use of American naval vessels.

There appears to be a certain inconsistency in the action of the United States in making millions of tons of shipping available to Great Britain by loan or transfer and by construction, when a proportion is pre-destined to be sunk, along with valuable cargoes and with an incalculable loss of life, because of the need for more escort ships. But there can be no question as to the effect of these accessions which Mr. Roosevelt has now announced. They provide a guarantee that Great Britain will not lose the Battle of the Atlantic through a sheer insufficiency of shipping. The 2,000,000 tons of shipping which can now be drawn on will at least balance losses in the months immediately ahead.

The huge sum that is being devoted to construction will assure that replacements can be made in the future. It is in keeping the shipping lanes open while the new ships are being built that the critical time must be experienced; but the United States is already on the job. Shipyards and ships, under the President’s emergency programme, are being constructed, and the United States works fast. By the end of the Great War an American merchant vessel was being launched every three days. The present programme can be expected at least to equal that record.